The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Allatoona and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are joining the Georgia chapter of the American Canoe Association (ACA) and other stakeholders to offer low-cost kayaking instruction May 18 at multiple locations across Georgia. Locally, the class will be held at Lawrence Shoals Campground (123 Lawrence Shoals Rd., Eatonton) on Lake Oconee.
The event celebrates National Safe Boating Week, which begins the same day. Other marquee partners include Georgia River Network, Georgia Power Company, Trust for Public Lands, and REI.
“We are excited to bring an event of this caliber to Georgia for the benefit of all of the paddlers,” Lake Allatoona Chief Ranger of Park Operations Rusty Simmons said. “Mobilizing this many nationally certified ACA instructors to help beginners is a very powerful way for the community to come together to reinforce safety while having fun.”
In 2023, this event trained 279 North Carolina and Tennessee students in 24 simultaneous kayaking classes led by nationally certified ACA instructor volunteers that led the National Safe Boating Council to recognize the program with its 2024 Community Impact Award.
Because Tennessee and North Carolina were successful last year, seven states are participating this year, with 43 simultaneous Kayaking 101 classes scheduled for May 18 in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Texas.
“Our instructor volunteers are so excited to share their love of the sport with newcomers and experienced paddlers alike,” ACA Southeastern Chair and Georgia River Network employee Andrea White said. “Just one day of training can make the difference between setting yourself up for a bad experience that ruins the sport for you versus setting yourself up for a whole lifetime of paddling fun.”
In addition to the Lake Oconee paddle training, classes in Georgia will be held at three locations on Lake Allatoona and at Skidaway Island, near Savannah. Each location will be limited to 15 student paddlers.
Thanks to the generous support of certified instructor volunteers, safety boaters, and equipment donations from various organizations, we are able to offer these classes at a significantly reduced cost. Typically priced between $75-$150, the classes on May 18 are available for just $15 per person, including the free use of a kayak.
All our instructors are Georgia volunteers, nationally certified to provide paddling and rescue training, and are backed by experienced safety teams.
Interested paddlers can find more detailed information and register online at georgiarivernetwork.regfox.com/aca-kayaking-101-for-national-safe-boating-week.